I Went Back and Set Him Free

Thinking of all this, I let out a long, quiet sigh, dismissed the servant, and turned to Russ nonchalantly."Russ, we still need matching pendants for the wedding. Let's go to Axie Jewelers and take a look."Russ drew his gaze away from the window and looked at me, his eyes sharp and bone-chillingly cold."Just finished measuring your dress, and already you're eager to buy matching pendants? Kathy, are you really this anxious to marry me? Well, bad timing, because I have an appointment with Cadence today. You can go alone if you want to."I forced the bitter ache in my chest down. "Since you have an appointment, go see her first. We'll meet at the entrance at sunset. That way, your parents won't notice."Russ froze, his eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion."Why are you so… considerate today? In the past, if Cadence's name came up, you'd make a scene. What's changed? Do you think that now we're getting married, she's no longer a threat?"I let out a bitter laugh, but before I co

"I don't know what happened. The Bree family's affairs have nothing to do with me, and I never said a single bad word about Cadence in front of Gordon and Linda. I told you I would help you. I never go back on my word," I said.Russ frowned. His sharp gaze landed on the chest, recognizing several of the things he'd given me over the years. Even the portrait he'd drawn for me was half‑burned.His face darkened even more. "What are you doing? Trying to play some push‑and‑pull trick on me? I'm telling you—no matter what you do, I will never like you. Your petty theatrics only make me sick. And if anything happens to Cadence, I swear I won't let you off!"He swept past me, holding Cadence—her forehead bruised from hitting the wall—and dragged me along as he rushed to a side room. On the way, she fainted in his arms.In my past life, Cadence had no one to rely on and threw herself into the river in despair. This time, with Russ giving her everything he had, she still didn't intend to le

Russ's face went pale, his expression frozen in shock."Kathy… is heading northwest? But she's supposed to marry me! Why would she go northwest?"I had already spoken with his parents beforehand. They exchanged a glance, then tried to calm him."It's Kathy's wish not to tell you. She knows your heart belongs to Cadence. So she asked us to honor her decision and let you marry Cadence instead."Your mother and I also understand that a forced marriage never brings happiness. Today is your wedding day. Don't let it be ruined. We'll handle Kathy's affairs."For once, Russ was silent. His chest tightened with a strange, aching pain.He grabbed his mother, panic rising in his voice. "What do you mean, 'marry Cadence instead'? How can this be? Am I not supposed to marry Kathy? The date was set—how can you just swap brides?"Do you even consider me your son? A marriage is not a trivial matter, and you didn't even consult me?"Never mind everything else, you've treated her as your own. H

Russ had once promised Kathy a lifetime of care.He’d broken that vow once before. Now, he was determined to honor it.For hours, Gordon and Linda sent messengers urging his return, but he was a man possessed, charging toward the outskirts without a backward glance. So consumed was he by his mission, he failed to notice the crucial detail: his parents claimed they would handle Kathy’s affairs, but they never actually left for the countryside.The scene that greeted him was one of pure chaos. Officials and coroners picked their way through the gruesome aftermath of a massacre. Blood stained the earth, the air thick with the metallic scent of it.His legs nearly gave way, a suffocating dread squeezing the air from his lungs. He searched frantically, but nowhere did he find the familiar face he sought.Stumbling into the local magistrate’s office, his voice was raw. “Is there a girl named Kathy Olson among the victims?”The clerk didn’t look up from his ledger. “No. There is an 'O